Open Hardware/Modding: GNU/Linux on NES Hardware and Raspberry Pi Weekly Issue
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Hackster ☛ Running Linux on Unmodified NES Hardware - Hackster.io
Linux has many advantages, but it is especially well-suited to running on older hardware. There are very lightweight kernels out there that don’t need much power to run — especially if you’re 1337 enough to work entirely in the shell and don’t need a GUI. Have a 30-year-old PC gathering dust? It will run Linux, no problem. But what if you have even less horsepower than that to work with? To dunk on every other operating system out there, DeCrAzYo proved that it is possible to run Linux on unmodified NES hardware.
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Raspberry Pi Weekly Issue #460 - We made something massive and strange for the Pi Towers lobby
Also featuring a high-maintenance chihuahua and a Johnny 5 homage Howdy, This week's pièce de résistance is the ludicrously sized magic mirror our Maker in Residence created for the lobby at Pi Towers. It's made from over 500 crystals and has lots of party tricks. I also quite liked the needy chihuahua in a heart-print onesie, and a Johnny 5-alike robot that had a starring role on a new TV show.
An update
Also see:
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You can run LUnix on an NES — demo shows a Unix-like OS running completely on the NES
A tech enthusiast was able to run a Unix-like operating system on the NES using completely original hardware.
Also here:
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You can (sort of) run Linux on a Nintendo NES
We’ve all seen tons of solutions for running NES games on non-NES hardware, but not so much in the way of running non-NES software on the NES itself.
But now, you can run ‘Linux’ on the NES, as seen in a demo done by programmer and tech enthusiast DeCrAzYo. His solution relied on original Nintendo hardware alone and included software he coded himself.
The inspiration for this project seems to be hacks that claim to run non-NES code on the NES but do so through devices like the Raspberry Pi, which, to DeCrAzYo, is basically just using the NES as a graphics output. His goal was to run Linux on the NES’s processor and within its memory using completely original hardware, which is certainly a much higher bar to clear.
Another one:
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Can the NES run Linux? One programmer found out
A programmer and tech enthusiast called ‘DeCrAzyO’ asked the important question, “Can it run Linux?” to the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). After a lot of investigating, troubleshooting and programming, he found native Linux couldn’t, but a Unix-like operation system (OS) and a Japanese NES could.
The goal of the project was to have Linux running natively on the NES’s original hardware. But, due to the hardware constraints of the NES and its tiny 2KB of RAM, it was not nearly powerful enough to run Linux natively. However, DeCrAzYo found he could use a Unix-like OS rather than actual Linux.
Also here:
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NES modder somehow gets 30-year-old console running Linux
Have you ever wondered if it is possible to install Linux on an NES? Neither have we, but one YouTuber has gone and done exactly that.
For years Linux was relegated to being the sole domain of obsessive computer geeks who wanted complete granular control over their system, or who wanted guaranteed privacy and security. Linux is beginning to emerge from behind that cloud, however, thanks to devices such as Steam Deck utilizing a version of it for its operating system.
And also here (later):
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Someone tried to get Linux to run natively on original NES console hardware from the 1980s
LUnix, or 'Little Unix,' created for the Commodore 64 is the key to getting Linux to run natively on a Nintendo Entertainment System.
Another one:
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Can GNU/Linux run on Nintendo’s ancient NES game console? Someone decided to try
Inspired by the age-old question, "Can it run Linux?", an intrepid YouTuber called DeCrAzYo successfully managed to get a "Unix-like" operating system up and running on that classic 1980s Nintendo games console, the NES. There was no cheating involved either. He didn't take any shortcuts by modifying the console's internal components or by sneaking a Raspberry Pi into the mix. His goal was to have the operating system's code executed directly via the NES processor using no more hardware than a typical game cartridge would offer, and that's exactly what he managed.
And yet another:
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Modded NES runs Linux-like OS in bold DIY achievement
In an unexpected turn of events, a modder and YouTuber, DeCrAzYo, has pushed the boundaries of retro gaming by successfully installing a Linux-like operating system on an NES console.Despite the NES’s hardware limitations, DeCrAzYo’s endeavor aimed to run Linux directly on the NES processor. However, due to the processor’s constraints, he pivoted to a UNIX-like operating system called Little UNIX, originally designed for the Commodore 64.
Encountering another hurdle—NES lacking a keyboard and RAM—he ingeniously turned to the Japanese Famicom, which features keyboard and floppy disk peripherals. By adapting Linux to run on the Famicom Disk System, DeCrAzYo demonstrated a significant breakthrough.Despite challenges like slow disk access speed and a lack of keyboard interface, DeCrAzYo’s experimentation yielded promising results. He successfully loaded the experimental UNIX version onto an Everdrive cartridge and initiated it on original NES hardware, although navigation beyond the boot screen proved difficult without a keyboard.
Later:
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Modder gets a version of Linux running on the Famicom
Even when the NES originally released, it wasn’t on the cutting edge of technology. Sure, it was pretty impressive for a home console at the time, but it was still leagues behind what was going on with gaming on the PC side of things. Still, it was surprising to see what developers could pull off on the platform, and that only grew as the years rolled on and dev teams learned more tricks.
Very late:
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Can the NES run Linux? The answer, surprisingly, is yes
One of the oldest questions in computer science is whether any machine can run Doom. An even older one is whether it can run Linux. This shouldn’t surprise us, because both are two pieces of software that, surprisingly, can work in the most unexpected places. And in fact, someone has asked that question in the most unexpected way, can the NES run Linux?
The answer is yes. A YouTuber named DeCrAzYo has managed to run a Unix-based operating system on the classic Nintendo console from the 80s. Not without making some concessions. It is a Japanese Famicom, which is virtually identical to the Western version, and it uses an accessory known as the Famicon Disk System. This device adds 32KB of dedicated RAM and allows for up to 64KB of storage via floppy disk. But in any case, it is still an NES.